Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Picking Out a Job at Age 10 is a Bad Idea

But there are days when she comes home with lots of math homework. Not just lots, but difficult stuff with equations and letters. It's stuff I haven't used since...well...since I was in these math classes. To top it all off, we usually get the most homework when our family has other plans. How do the teachers know?

Without fail, my daughter will say what everyone besides scientists and engineers have always said. 'I'll never need this stuff in the real world!' It is hard to justify algebra for keeping your checkbook balanced. Though I have started telling her she has to go to bed at x = 2(1+1) + (10-5). Solve for x and get around for bed, sweetheart!

But the fact is she doesn't yet know what she'll need for her future career. Sure, she doesn't think NASA will be in her future, but neither did Bruce Willis is that space documentary, Armageddon.

It got me thinking that it's probably a good idea that we don't choose our careers when we are 10.

1. For starters, every boy would be playing some professional sport.

2. There would be no one to teach, because kids can't fathom forcing their kids to go to prison school 8 hours a day.

3. Who would go see concerts, since we would have an overflow of rock-n-roll stars?

4. Oh, and who is watching TV, since we'd have so many actors and actresses?

5. I don't even want to consider what happens to any career that involves a suit and tie.

See, life is better when we have some more time to consider what we want to do. See, it just adds up.